6According to the National Center for Health Statistics of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 34 million Americans have a significant hearing loss; of these almost six million are profoundly deaf. Imagine living in a world where everyone around you speaks a different language, and you can't master it . . . The culture of those around you is different from your own, but you can't be a part of it . . . No matter how much you struggle to fit in, you never will. And what if this is your lot in life not by choice but by chance. How would you feel? This is the very same world into which millions of deaf persons are born, including Christopher Cline. Christopher's journey through life highlights the challenges that a deaf individual growing up in a hearing world faces on a daily basis, including the most difficult, yet most important, challenge of all gaining the acceptance and approval of one's hearing parents. Silent Ears, Silent Heart gives the reader a glimpse into the language, culture, and life of a deaf person, but it does more than that. The reader's heart becomes intertwined with Christopher's so that he or she is inspired to be empathetic toward the plight of deaf individuals.